Chrysanthemum plant named Bronze Melosa

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named Bronze Melosa particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; decorative capitulum type; light-orange ray floret color with slightly darker center; diameter across face of capitulum of 89 to 102 mm when fully opened, when grown as a single stem spray cut mum; photoperiodic flowering response to short days in Salinas under normal temperatures is 47 to 57 days after start of short days; flowering response in Bogota, Colombia, under temperatures of minimum 6.3 degrees Celsius night and maximum 29 degrees Celsius day is 65 to 72 days; plant height, with 6 to 8 long days prior to start of short days ranges from 79 to 91 cm when grown in Salinas as a single stem cut mum with no growth regulator applications; when grown in Bogota, with 14 to 15 long days prior to start of short days, plant height ranges from 99 to 124 cm; peduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing the apical bud ranges from 10 to 15 cm when grown in Salinas, and from 13 to 18 cm when grown in Bogota; peduncle length of the fourth lateral ranges from 18 to 20 cm in Salinas, and from 20 to 23 cm in Bogota; and excellent tolerance to low night temperatures for bud initiation and flower development.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, andreferred to by the cultivar name Bronze Melosa.

Bronze Melosa, identified as 3448 (85-268A08), is a product of amutation induction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selectedby Cornelis P. VandenBerg in November 1988 in a controlled environmentin Salinas, Calif., as one flowering plant within a flowering blockestablished as rooted cuttings from stock plants which has been exposedas unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 2000 rads in Ft. Meyers,Fla., in March 1988. The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivaridentified as Melosa, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,465.

The irradiation program resulting in Bronze Melosa had as its primaryobjective the expansion of color ranges of the parent cultivar Melosa.The irradiation program comprised irradiating cuttings of the parentcultivar at irradiation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000 rads. A total of1,324 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiated plants wereplanted on September 19, September 12 and September 5, respectively. Aresupply of material irradiated at 1500 rads was planted on Oct. 3,1988. Of the total cuttings planted, 20 initial selections were made,which selections were then revegetated and reflowered. Two consecutiveflowerings resulted in discarding 6 of the original 20 selections onJul. 25, 1989. Because of the potential importance of the parentcultivar Melosa, it was decided to flower all remaining 14 selections inBogota, Colombia, and to re-flower the same selections in Salinas, asActive status plants. Flowering in Bogota resulted in discarding 12 ofthese 14 selections on Apr. 10, 1990, and the decision to introduce oneselection (3448) as Bronze Melosa. During a flowering in Salinas, onJun. 19, 1990, one remaining selection was discarded, and twoselections, which were previously discarded in Bogota were re-instatedas Dark Melosa (3456) and Coral Melosa (3458) for possible introductionin the United States only.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Bronze Melosa was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection inJanuary 1989 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., bytechnicians working under supervision of Cornelis P. VandenBerg.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successiveplantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for Bronze Melosa are firmly fixed and are retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Bronze Melosa has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength.

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plantsgrown in Salinas, Calif., and in Bogota, Colombia, under greenhouseconditions which approximate those generally used in commericalgreenhouse practice. The low night temperature tolerance was determinedin repeated flowerings in Bogota, Colombia, with an average minimum lownight temperature inside the greenhouse during our trials ranging from6.3 to 10.0 degrees Celsius.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Bronze Melosa, which, in combination,distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Decorative capitulum type.

3. Light-orange ray floret color with slightly darker center.

4. Diameter across face of capitulum of 89 to 102 mm when fully opened,when grown as a single stem spray cut mum.

5. Photoperiodic flowering response to short days in Salinas undernormal temperatures is 47 to 57 days after start of short days.Flowering response in Bogota, Colombia under temperatures of minimum 6.3degrees Celsius night and maximum 29 degrees Celsius day is 65 to 72days.

6. Plant height, with 6 to 8 long days prior to start of short days,ranges from 79 to 91 cm when grown in Salinas as a single stem cut mumwith no growth regulator applications, when grown in Bogota, with 14 to15 long days prior to start of short days, plant height ranges from 99to 124 cm.

7. Penduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing theapical bud ranges from 10 to 15 cm when grown in Salinas, and from 13 to18 cm when grown in Bogota. Peduncle length of the fourth lateral rangesfrom 18 to 20 cm in Salinas, and from 20 to 23 cm in Bogota.

8. Excellent tolerance to low night temperatures for bud initiation andflower development.

The accompanying photographic drawing is a view of a single stem ofBronze Melosa, with the colors being as nearly true as possible withillustrations of this type.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar incomparison to Bronze Melosa is the parent cultivar Melosa. All traits ofBronze Melosa are similar to those of Melosa, except for the ray floretcolor. The ray floret color of Bronze Melosa is light orange, while theray floret color of Melosa is described as soft lavener-pink.

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined onplant material grown as a single stem spray cut mum in Salinas, Calif.,on Jun. 29, 1990.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv Bronze Melosa.

Commercial.--Flat decorative spray cut mum.

Inflorescence

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Decorative.

Diameter across face.--89 to 102 mm when fully opened.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Light orange.

Color (upper surface).--Closest to 16A to 24B, slightly overlaid with168C. Center of flower and immature buds are more strongly overlaid wtih168C.

Color (under surface).--Closest to 16A to 16B.

Shape.--Slight longitudinal reflexing. Cross-section slightly concave.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--14A.

Color (immature).--144B.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; very few disc florets, barelyvisible in the mature flower, scant pollen.

Gynoceium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--79 to 91 cm when grown in Salinas as a single stem cut mum with6 to 8 long days after planting rooted cutting prior to start of shortdays, with no growth regulator applications; when grown in Bogota, with14 to 15 long days prior to start of short days, plant height rangesfrom 99 to 124 cm.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

Shape.--Deeply lobed and slightly serrated.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named Bronze Melosa,as described and illustrated.